|
IKF PAST NEWS | ||
|
HOME - NEWS - EVENTS - RANKINGS - SANCTIONING - JOINING IKF - RULES & REGULATIONS - MERCHANDISE - ISCF |
| ||||||
WEDNESDAY, December 31st 2003, AT 7:10 PM, PT
A Year In Review With The
IKF
A
Look Back At 2003
2003 was one of the most progressive years for the IKF Organization. As we end the year today, lets take a look back at what all happened over the year throughout the IKF World. Please find below "SOME" (Events with IKF Titles) of our IKF Sanctioned events along with some of the news stories that made headlines in 2003.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE...
MORE NEWS OF 12-31-03
POSTED AT 10:15 AM, PT
K-1
Dynamite Results
Click HERE!
TUESDAY, December 30th 2003, AT 8:20 PM, PT
A Look Back &
A Look Forward
Is It Time To "EXPAND" The
IKF USA National Amateur Tournament?
The
majority of this article is from a previous article written back in May of 2001
by IKF Associate Alex MacDonald.
In Alex's first article he addressed the issue of the USA titles and how
the Amateur National Tournament took these title fights away from the promoters.
In the last 2 years we have also taken away the Amateur North American titles
from promoters because of the recent addition of the IKF
North American Tournaments. Both of these events have there pros and cons about
them but overall, the one we hear about most here is that in creating them, we
have not allowed Promoters to feature big U.S. or North American Title matches
on their events. Doing so has taken away their ability to add more hype and
excitement to their promotion, only leaving them with 3 amateur title choices,
state, regional or World. Only 3 choices in USA that is.
As we end 2003 we look ahead to what we can do to improve the IKF in 2004. We have already been discussing openly the issue of amateurs wearing headgear or having the option not to. This rule of amateurs wearing headgear looks like it will not change for 2004, mainly due to the safety issues related to it. In other words, the problem here is not "Amateurs not wanting to wear headgear." The real problem is that "there is no 'Next Level' for them to go after an amateur career". We say "Next Level" because the reality is, there are fewer and fewer pro opportunities every year. Without National TV Exposure from a National Network, this may never change. With this being said, we here at the IKF Organization are working on this "Daily" and we hope to make progress in 2004 for all of us. In the mean time, we need to look for ways to help bring Promoters financial assistance through major sponsorship so that we can see more pro fights.
Have you ever heard of the saying, "More is Less?" If not, you have now and we have decided to look at some of the areas where the IKF can do "Less" to offer all of you "More". We don't mean "Less work". We mean... well... Lets just jump into this discussion and begin with focusing on the IKF National & North American Amateur Tournaments and see where we can offer "Less" but make it "More" for everyone. In the end, you will hopefully see what we mean by such a phrase.
From Alex MacDonald.
(*) Some updates as to years referred to have been made.
Since its birth, the IKF has taken
amateur kickboxing in the U.S. very seriously. In fact it was the mismanagement
of amateurs by other sanctioning organizations that created the opening for
founders Steve Fossum and Dan Stell to start what is now, after
less than ten years, the most respected worldwide sanctioning body.
"One
question that many wonder is WHY does one decide to start up their own
sanctioning body? Well, we can't speak for others but in the case of the IKF it
was because we as fighters, trainers and promoters got tired of WONDERING "WHO"
was TRULY the best as an amateur. Yes, as an AMATEUR. You see, the IKF was
originally started to be just an AMATEUR organization."
(IKF History page)
When thinking about the IKF's dedication to amateurs, one must especially respect the sacrifice made to stage the IKF National Amateur Tournaments. Perhaps 'sacrifice' is the wrong word here. With the vision of both amateur and professional kickboxing growing to reach their full potential, perhaps 'investment' is a better word. And what an investment it has been so far. In only its *fifth year, the IKF National Amateur Tournament is respected by Americans and non-Americans alike. Entering the tournament means facing the best in the United States. Gone are the days when one could fight a cross-town rival for a national title or even a world title.
However, without a working system in place to copy, the IKF has had to, more or less, invent the wheel on
its own. Being the first organization to have both, they had to decide how to
balance the tournament champion with the national title holder. Initially, U.S.
title holders were obligated to enter the tournament.
Those who didn't have a valid reason for
missing the tournament were told their titles would be stripped. Then tournament
winners who fought in divisions with vacant titles were awarded the U.S. title
in addition to the tournament championship. In retrospect, this was wrong.
Fighting 3 two-minute rounds is not enough to win the title and not every
tournament champion got double belts so the IKF
fixed things again. This time they put the tournament champion first in line to
challenge the title holder which made it seem to some that the tournament
champion's achievement was inferior to winning the U.S. title. This of course
couldn't have been further from the truth since the tournament circuit is,
without a doubt, the best experience any amateur kickboxer in the U.S. will ever
have. In response, the IKF has now (*as of April 4th, 2001) eliminated the amateur title
system altogether in an effort to have only one U.S. Champion. I feel this act
will do more damage than good and that is the basis of this article.
I would first like to thank the IKF for giving me a forum to disagree with this decision and for posting this article on the news page. Readers will know that others would not be so fair. However, if you look at the bottom of the main page on this site, you will see that fairness is part of the IKF's five star mission. This article is proof of that.
I would also like to say that this article is not meant to be any form of mud slinging. This is one of Mr. Fossum's advisors who supports amateur U.S. title matches disagreeing with other advisors who don't. Furthermore, although I feel the decision to eliminate amateur U.S. title matches is wrong, I am not accusing anyone involved in the decision making process of malice. On the contrary, intent alone sets the IKF apart from the its competitors.
The
Relationship
So what is the purpose of non tournament titles?
Think
of team sports that have a regular season followed by a playoff series. A
regular season champion is crowned as is the playoff champion. Winning the
regular season usually means earning top seed in the playoffs and winning both
the regular season and the playoffs means the team in question was undeniably
the best of the year.
The link team sports have between their regular seasons and playoffs is a little different than that between the kickboxing tournament circuit and what I call the 'title season'. In team sports the playoffs are more important than the regular season record. Think of the Super Bowl, the World Series or the Stanley Cup. In addition, team sports have a one-way relationship where the playoff winners have to start from scratch at the beginning of the next regular seasons. On the other hand, I believe kickboxing has a two-way relationship. The title holder can bypass the qualifying tournaments to enter the U.S. Championships and the tournament winner is put first in line to challenge the title holder. I predict that this two way relationship will create a growth cycle that, once the spinning picks up speed, will snowball beyond our wildest expectations.
So which is more important? The tournament champion or
the title holder?
Answer... Neither.
If we look closely at the aspects of a tournament and those of a title match, we'll see that these are two different tests each with its own advantages.
The Examples
It appears
that at this point it is on me to provide a little more than my foresight. I
should offer some real cases to support my claim that the IKF National Amateur Tournament
actually provides better competition for U.S amateur titles. At first glance,
this may seem to be a difficult task. After all, the IKF National Amateur Tournament
is *now only 3
years (5 as of the re-posting of this article) old. However, it
wasn't at all difficult to find a few very good examples.
(*) Examples below were only taken from the first
3 years of the IKF
National Amateur Tournament since this
article was first written in 2001.)
had an effect on the matchmaking.
Could the above fights have
happened at the IKF
National Amateur Tournament? If all the
circumstances in question had them chasing the same championship, they may very
well have met but the conditions were different enough for these fighters to
miss each other. Owens was recovering from a knee injury and couldn't
make it to the tournament. Hill and Rivera fought in different
years and different rule styles as did Zimmerman and Fowler.
Hasely and Crawford come from different countries. And Greubel
and Poey, although fighting in the same year in the same rule class,
entered at different weights.
I predict that *after the 2001 IKF National Amateur Tournament, we'll see promoters looking to match the best against the best at a higher frequency than before…Only now with no titles on the line to ensure a legacy. In fact, I believe that if the choice to eliminate U.S. National Titles were put on the table in March 2002 rather than 2001, the final decision would be very different. Everyone involved would see the effect the tournament circuit has on the quality of matchmaking during title season. These matches deserve recognition and the IKF is the only organization that can do this. (Without full disclosure of both past and present champions [see the IKF WORLD RANKINGS pages and the PAST IKF Champions pages] other titles are unfortunately rendered meaningless.)
It is my hope in writing this article that readers will realize
A:
That the IKF
National Amateur Tournament is the best
thing to happen to amateur kickboxing and
B: That there is still a
place in the scheme of things for U.S. amateur title matches. Let's all hope
that after the national tournament season wraps up in September (*2001), that discussions on the status of IKF U.S. amateur titles will resume.
END of Article.
_________________________________________
___________________________________
Well Alex,
And everyone
else reading this, a change is on the horizon. Like the headgear issue, we would
like to hear your 
thoughts on it. We
want to hear thoughts from not just the USA Amateur fighters and trainers, but
fighters and trainers from outside USA too. Why? well, what if we as the IKF "Gave Back" to the USA
promoters the opportunity to host/feature IKF
US & IKF North American Titles on
their events? Here us out on this one...What if we saw more amateur events in
2003 like Ray Thompson's Martial
Arts May-Hem? But in 2004, those all could be IKF title bouts? Alex said it best above
when he made point of what happened to past IKF Champions. That they are not
forgotten, instead, remembered forever on the PAST IKF Champions Page.
He added to his point by writing,
"I predict that *after the 2001
IKF
National Amateur Tournament, we'll see
promoters looking to match the best against the best at a higher frequency than
before…Only now with no titles on the line to
ensure a legacy." (As what happened this last year on Ray
Thompson's Martial Arts
May-Hem event.)
Alex continued: "In fact, I
believe that if the choice to eliminate U.S. National Titles were put on the
table in March 2002 rather than 2001, the final decision would be very
different. Everyone involved would see the effect the tournament circuit has on
the quality of matchmaking during title season. These matches deserve
recognition and the IKF is the only
organization that can do this. (Without full disclosure of both past and present
champions [see the
IKF WORLD RANKINGS pages and the
PAST IKF Champions pages] other titles
are unfortunately rendered meaningless.)
So now the news...
What
If, we changed the structure and the name of the IKF
USA Nationals? What if we combined the IKF
USA National Amateur Tournament with the IKF
North American Amateur Tournaments? (Here is where you will see the 'Less is
more' comment we started with above.) What if the Champion of this "Tournament"
were instead a "Tournament" Champion (Like
Boxing's Golden Gloves) instead of a "Region"
(USA, North American, World) Champion? When we first thought of this
idea, we thought the IKF Nationals were "Exactly"
like Boxing's Golden Gloves. However, when we researched it, the Golden Gloves
is just one of 15 (Or more) Boxing Tournaments each year. Don't believe
us? Well, according to USA Boxing's 2003 calendar, an Amateur boxer could have won far
more than the "Golden Gloves" tournament here in the USA. He
or she could have also won one of these Amateur Boxing Tournaments
Titles:
Labor Day Championships, Location
TBAFifteen different tournaments... And we were concerned about how to name a title for one or 3... And that does not include the Tournaments USA Boxing is involved with "Outside" the USA. Of course, USA Boxing has a 3 million dollar budget to assist them with these events too. About 3 million more than we have here. When we discovered all this, we thought, "Why not have a TOURNAMENT that has IT'S OWN Title and is NOT associated with 'Region' Titles?"
In doing so, it would free up all the IKF USA and IKF North American Titles (Along with the other, state, regional and World) for Promoters to feature on their events instead. But what would we call such an event? Each year when we start talking about the IKF USA Nationals on the news pages here we receive about 10-20 e-mails a week from trainers and fighters from around the world asking if they can join the event. However, as you all know, the event is a USA National Amateur Tournament, not a "World" tournament. But what if we open up such an event to "ANY" Amateur fighter in the World? Of course, we would need to assure "ALL" fighters followed the IKF Definition of Amateur Fighter found at this link HERE.
So... What would we call it?
How About ...
|
The |
_______ |
|
Yes there will be questions such as how many fighters will we allow in a
bracket for the 2 day event? We were thinking "First come, first serve."
and limit each weight division to 8 fighters. That way they would fight at the
most 2 times on Saturday and 1 time on Title Sunday. Sure, there are other
questions such as "How will you do seeding and will there be regionals
anymore?" We don't know yet. Some time ago we broke down the World into
REGIONS just for this reason. You can see these regions by clicking
HERE. "IF"
we were to have IKF Directors or
Representatives who could organize Regional qualifying events in these regions,
this would of course be a "Perfect Scenario". However this has
proved harder than first thought. Decisions such as these are where you come in.
We look forward to your thoughts on this one as you discuss it on the
Message Board or e-mail (main@ikfkickboxing.com) your thoughts
to us... Because as you can see, we're ready to move forward on this *NOW!
If
this is approved, the event would be on the dates already set for the 2004 IKF USA National Amateur tournament: August 20th, 21st and 22nd.
MORE NEWS OF 12-30-03
Kick Counting...
Do
We Need It?
Quote from an E-Mail: "The rules of Full Contact themselves protect the fighters from boxers entering the sport and going on a tear (minimum kick req.) In the K-1, Bernado doesn't lose points if he doesn't kick. Does Peter Aerts need rules to protect him from the big bad boxer? No. Does Bernado's presence hurt the sport? On the contrary, it makes it more interesting."
With that being said, Do we really need to keep "Counting" Kicks in Full Contact Rules Fighting? Should it be required in Amateur but not Pros? Should it be required for either? Make good use of the Message Board and discuss this one everyone. We like reading your thoughts and opinions on such proposed rule changes or adjustments. Or e-mail us your thoughts at main@ikfkickboxing.com.
MORE NEWS OF 12-30-03
You Are
Personally Invited
to View the
First Mouthguard
Designed
Specifically for
FEMALES!
Super Show 2004 - Booth # 21145N
Brain
Pad Develops New LoPro Female Model
THURSDAY, December 24th 2003, AT 12:50 PM, PT
Prime Time Offered For
IKF Kickboxing TV Show On
CSS?
SouthEast USA: For those who hated to
stay up late to wait for the
IKF Kickboxing TV Show
at 11:PM on Friday nights, the new schedule that is being proposed by CSS may be
more to your liking. Today CSS offered a 6:PM, Sunday evening slot for the
IKF Kickboxing TV Show,
a far more visibly location to potential sponsors! If the IKF can land sponsorship for the 2004 season its a
done deal however if not, the IKF may hold
off until such a sponsor can be found. The main goal of the IKF was to "earn" an earlier slot
with CSS
management which the program has done during its 17 week run. The next plan was
to re-air many of the shows that were shown during the fall 2003 season at the
11:PM time slot.
"The 6:PM time
slot is a great spot for us because its on a Sunday night." said
IKF President Steve Fossum. "With
the addition of 2 more states added to the CSS region, more kickboxing fans will
be able to watch the show and it also provides greater exposure for show
sponsors. However if we cannot find sponsors to assist with the program funding
the project may have to be delayed awhile until such sponsorship is attained."
The show has been a major success on
CSS
this last few months. The show is so popular that
CSS
has been airing the show
as often as "THREE" times a week!
If you are interested or know anyone interested in becoming a program sponsor to help keep the show going, please contact the IKF TV Programming department at ikftv@ikfkickboxing.com, or you can call the IKF office at (916) 663-2467.
This Week the program can be seen on Christmas day, December 25th at 4:00 PM Eastern, 3:00 PM Central, (CSS Choice: Either last Friday nights show - see below on last weeks news - or "The Fight! as noted below for this Friday night) and of course at it's regular time slot of Friday night, December 26th ("The" Fight! as noted below) at 11:PM Eastern and 10:PM Central.
How Can you Get
CSS In Your Area?
If you
want to know how to find
CSS
in your area CLICK HERE for all the regions and channels.
Comcast Sports
Southeast is available through Comcast, Charter and other cable
providers. CSS
is not available thorough Dish Network or Direct TV. If your local cable
provider does not offer CSS, please e-mail us at
css@cable comcast.com and let us
know where you live and your current cable provider. We will work to bring
CSS
to your market.
MORE NEWS OF 12-24-03
POSTED AT 10:40 AM, PT
This Friday On
IKF Kickboxing On CSS!
Due To Popular Demand...
"THE" FIGHT!
IKF Amateur Light
Cruiserweight
World Title
Stephen
"Wonderboy" Thompson
Simpsonville, South Carolina,
USA
Vs
Kevin "Hitman" Engel
St
Louis, Missouri, USA.
Friday Night, 11:PM EST, 10:PM CST. To see the final schedule of shows for 2003, Click HERE!
MORE NEWS OF 12-24-03
POSTED AT 1:40 AM, PT
IKF
Advisory Board
Sees Changes As We Head Into 2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The IKF Advisory Board is more than just a bunch of names to make the IKF appear as a large organization. Ones position on the board is privilege and one that is not just earned but must be maintained year by year by each individuals performance within the workings of the IKF. Those appointed to the board are very active in the IKF organization in many different ways. Again, not just names on a web page as other organizations do.
Yesterday there were some changes made to the board which included some promotions along with some new appointments to the board. Those new to the board included:
Several others
were promoted from "Associate" representative to IKF Representative (These are not
positions these individuals paid to be appointed to.
they have earned their positions.) On
the flip side, there were also some individuals retired from the Board due to
lack of activity in their region. To see who all is currently on the
IKF Advisory Board
CLICK HERE.
The IKF
Advisory Board is reserved for individuals who are active in growing the
IKF organization in their appointed
position and or region. Those not making progress in their appointed position
are retired from the board. Although the Board features many different
positions, those in "Region Representative Positions" are
responsible for IKF growth in their
region. This growth is measured in many ways such as new members, IKF seminars and merchandising but the most watched
is the actual promoting or hosting of IKF
Sanctioned events. Regional Representatives can be State, National and
Continental and the prospected 
Representative
or director is responsible for growth "Throughout" their
appointed region. In 2003 some of these individuals had very little or no
activity in their appointed regions which has either retired them from the board
or put them under review with action to be determined within the first few weeks
of 2004.
More changes are expected in IKF
Leadership for 2004 around the world. If you have never worked with the IKF as a promoter or official but would like to
start in 2004, we welcome you. If you wish to represent your country or region
in your represented position you may apply for a position on the
IKF Advisory Board
as an IKF Representative. We welcome you
to do so by going to the IKF
Representatives Application page by clicking
HERE for an "Associate
Representative" or HERE for a Representative.
Those who are already working in association with the IKF and would like to apply for a position on the
IKF Advisory Board may do so with the same
forms. There are no fees 
required
for these positions when applied for by current IKF
associates unless your desire is to fully control operations (Scheduling,
Financial, Appointments, Merchandising, etc.) in your region. Such positions
are negotiated and will depend on the duties and requirements of your position.
Since 2004 is only a few days away we urge "Everyone
and Anyone" seeking to direct or represent a particular region for 2004
to 
apply for the region desired immediately
so we can confirm your appointments by the first of the year. Regions currently
not under the direct leadership control of IKF
Headquarters (Scheduling, Financial, Appointments, Merchandising, etc.)
and not confirmed between the Regional Director, Representative or Associate
Representative by January 1st, 2004 will become open and available to those who
have submitted their applications for confirmation and appointments will be made
by the IKF no later then January 5th,
2004.
We look forward to yet another GREAT
Year of IKF Kickboxing!
Happy
Holidays Everyone!
WEDNESDAY, December 23rd, 2003, AT 10:20 PM, PT
Smith's IKF East Coast Classic Looking Strong!
IKF Headquarters: IKF Promoter Craig Smith if Virginia Beach, Virginia is excited this Christmas, and he deserves to be! As of today Smith has over 70 fighters registered for his "In House" tournament event we here at the IKF have titled the "East Coast Classic!" For more info and to see who plans to "Walk The Walk" this coming February 21st, Click HERE!
MORE NEWS OF 12-23-03
Warning Of E-Mail Virus
"A Virtual Card For You"
Is A Hoax Virus
Warning
CLICK
HERE!
MORE NEWS OF 12-23-03
Retired Boxers Foundation Play Santa at
Los Angeles Area Gyms
CLICK
HERE!
SUNDAY, December 21st, 2003, AT 10:45 PM, PT
What Will The Ruling Be
For
Amateurs
& HEADGEAR...
And
What "ELSE" Has This Topic Sparked...?
IKF Headquarters:
We must say, this topic has been one of the best talked about topics on the
Message Board
EVER! All involved in the many discussions deserve praise for their thoughts and
suggestions which will all weigh heavily for the final ruling. One thing we here
at the IKF would like to point out is that
"SAFETY" is our number one
concern for amateur fighters.
This being the case, we must admit we have always been on the side of "Headgear" for amateur fighters, however, we do hear the many voices of those who have provided arguments against wearing headgear. In general, this rule discussion has nothing to do with fighters under 18 years old and nothing to do with fighters with less than 10 bouts. This consideration of a possible rule "Adjustment" only concerns amateurs with ring experience of a minimum of 10 bouts or more, and even this number could change "If" such an adjustment is ever made.
Take note that we said "Rule ADJUSTMENT". This is because in general, there will be no rule "Change". The issue at hand is "What to do with the amateurs who would like to move up, but not be pro due to the lack of booking bouts." In the past, many have heard us here at the IKF say there will never be any waiver of the headgear rule for amateurs, and in the end, this may still be true. However, our task here is to answer to the many fighters and trainers who have asked to be allowed to fight without headgear. As you might have read on the message board, the arguments for and against are very justified in thought, however one single issue still must stay in the amateur ranks, the issue of, "Safety".
We thought the person who suggested "If only 1 fighter dies from not wearing headgear, you IKF will be at fault" had a valid point. As we all know, it only takes "One Time" for something terrible to happen. On the flip side of this, why does the IKF have to be at fault? Look at the other sanctioning bodies and state athletic commissions that allow amateurs to fight without headgear and to date, no serious injury, let alone fatal one, has occurred. Or has it? At least none that we have heard about.
For or against is the question but the answer must work for everyone, or at least we hope for it to. however it's hard to "Please everyone all of the time." We had suggested a "Third" division on the message board which also got some good response in posts. We suggested calling it a "Semi-Pro" division while others suggested a "AA" or "AAA" division. Those against it suggested there may not be enough fighters to fill such a division. If this were true, how so we ask? How so because those who would be eligible for the AA or Semi-Pro division are only fighters with 10 fights or more (Possibly even more) experience anyway. These fighters would be in a ranking division all their own, a division that would not "Deplete" the current rankings because they would not be fighting the less experienced fighters anyway.
Why not turn Pro?
We
can remember when there was a great incentive to be a pro kickboxer! ABC's Wide
World of Sports was on every week and every kickboxer wanted to be on that show!
Some simply started as pros just to get a shot at being on TV. Many of our past
kickboxing stars never had a single amateur fight. Later ESPN took over
kickboxing and it wavered as far as exposure due to a non consistent time slot
for viewers to find. (According to ESPN management, This has even hurt
ESPN's boxing ratings as of very recently.) However, regardless of the past,
the truth is, we have no "NATIONWIDE" weekly kickboxing show to offer
our pro fighters. Is this the fault of those organizing our sport such as us
here at the IKF or other sanctioning
bodies? Of course not. Those close to us here know we have tried to find a
network to take a kickboxing show on a national level but no ones interested, at
least yet. Why? Because no one knows our sport enough and or the STARS who
are in it.
STARS
Someone
on the message board suggest it best when he said "We need STARS!"
and the only way to create STARS is to put faces behind the names. Lets face it,
not to pat ourselves on the back but we here at the IKF
have done a great job at bringing exposure to those in our sport here on the
IKF News pages. We have always felt this
was our job and our obligation to the sport. Many would have never been
discovered by other promoters or organizations if not for our efforts here, but
the fact is, the internet is not the answer to our problems, so as much
as we would like to take a heap of credit, our work is far from done here! We
can only do so much in typed words and a few photos. This was why we invested
greatly on the IKF Kickboxing TV Program. Whether it continues
in 2004 will be determined on if we attain sponsorship to assist in funding the
production of the programs which run between $6 to $10,000 per production once
you figure in all the various costs involved, and this isn't even counting
helping promoters book pro talent. Although our current deal with
CSS is great for
those in 11 Southeast states here in the USA, still it's not NATIONAL Exposure,
let alone worldwide (As a company such as ESPN can offer) for any of the
fighters.
Big Sponsorship!
Years ago
when kickboxing was on ABC Sports and ESPN, the Coors beer company invested
somewhere around $15 Million into kickboxing and the program was called "Coors Kickboxing!". How much? "FIFTEEN
MILLION DOLLARS!" That should have pushed kickboxing to the top of
the contact sports game! However, those who received the money gave more to
themselves than to the sport and they became rich but our sport didn't. We can
thank them because today, big sponsors like Coors can't seem to be found
anywhere! Imagine what we could do for our sport with a sponsorship of "FIFTEEN
MILLION DOLLARS!" Imagine what we could do with just 1 million, or even
"100,000! Was it those who received the money or the sport itself that left
us with nothing? Well, it appears we are all still here doing our sport, so the
answer is that those who got the money simply took it and ran, at OUR EXPENSE!
These people had no "Future Vision" in mind. There was no "Look
at the bigger picture" in their vision. They must have felt the sport
owed them greatly, and when the opportunity came to make a bundle, they took it
and ran, at the expense of all of us left here today wondering why kickboxing
has no big TV contract and not enough sponsorship money for our pro athletes.
Look around Everyone.
Love
us or hate us, look at the difference of "Organization" our sport is
today with what we have accomplished here with the IKF
as compared to 10-15 years ago when Coors put all that money into it. Imagine
what we could offer promoters and pro fighters with such a sponsorship? Imagine
how the USA Nationals would be if we had that kind of money to put into it!
Imagine what kind of TV Programming we could bring to the tube with that kind of
backing! But thats all we seem to be able to do... Imagine...
Regardless, with absolutely no major sponsorship coming in as nearly every other sport around the world enjoys, we are more organized and have been able to provide more opportunities for those in our sport than ever before, that is, except a future for our pro athletes. We are missing the top three elements that will skyrocket our sport to the top of the sports market. TV, Sponsorship and Stars! Or are we?
WHO are our Stars!
None
of us here have to look far to see "We have the stars!"
It's just that, us here in kickboxing are the only ones that seem to know them.
Ask your neighbor if they know who IKF
World Champion Tommy Bach is or other Pro World Champions like Danny
Steele, Khunpon, Cung Le, Matee Jedeepitak, Enn Fairtex, Fernando Calleros,
Anthony Bartinelli, Kongnapa, Rudi Ott, Mike Nevitt, Matt Skelton, Dave
Marinoble, Chris Wright or any other World Champion, even those past
Champions like Rick Roufus, Don Wilson or Dennis Alexio and
those who are champions in other organizations. However, Rick Roufus, Don
Wilson and Dennis Alexio are well known in our sport as well as
outside our sport, to a degree. These guys were on TV when there was kickboxing
on TV weekly! They were there when the money was there and the money and TV made
them stars in all our eyes! But what about todays Pro Champions? When do we have
the opportunity to do a story on them? Hardly ever! However, you have often seen
stories here about the amateurs such as Stephen Thompson, Doyle Gayler,
Derek Yuen, Marc Mayfield, Anthony McGaughey, Tony Stumpf, Shawn Yarbough,
Shannon Hudson, Brent Hess, Andy Hoffman, Kevin Engle, Bill Jardine, David
Flurry, Trent Tompkins, Dan Pemble, Peyton Russell, John Castle, Robert Elledge
and the list goes on and on. Why? For the very reason this article is here.
Because they have more opportunities to fight and do. Which is why they fear
turning pro, because like those pro fighters we mentioned above, they may never
be heard from again. Thus them asking for another level to fight in, "Without
their headgear."
What are we Missing?
First
we are missing TV Exposure. Why is more the question here. Its obvious we have
enough action around the globe to support a good TV Program, or do we? Someone
said we here at the IKF were the driving
force behind having amateurs fight without headgear so we could show those
fights on the IKF TV
Program instead of amateur fights with headgear. To begin with, of
course, no headgear fights can be more exciting to the general public. However,
this was not our plan with the headgear ruling. Ask yourself this, "IF"
this were the case, why would we have invested 6 figures into the
IKF Kickboxing TV
Programs 'Before' such a ruling took place? Or better yet,
wouldn't we have been better off "for ourselves here at the IKF" to just make the rule change without
asking anyone? Other organizations have done so, so why didn't we? Wouldn't we
have been smarter, if this was our intention, to wait until we decided to shed
the headgear before investing so much money into a "Needed"
idea of Kickboxing on TV? Of course we would have, but this wasn't the plan.
From day one we wanted to show amateurs on the program so that we could build
their names to those who saw the show. As for asking about this ruling on a
public news page which was followed up on the message board, this should prove
to all of you that your opinions "ARE VALUED Greatly here!"
As always, the IKF has built from the
ground up, which means we have always started everything we do at the amateur
level first. A strong foundation of amateur programs, promotions and fighters is
what has made us strong today.
What Next?
So
what is next for our sport? This has already been said. "Money!"
It doesn't take a lot of thinking to know that money will make a lot of things
happen for our sport but where will it come from? It will need to come from the
next "Coors Kickboxing"
sponsorship but we as a sport need to assure these sponsors will be getting
their monies worth! We can't take it and go and buy a big fancy house and fancy
cars. We need to invest this money into our sport so we will get the greatest
potential out of it for us, "AND" those sponsors who stepped
up to assist us in this growth for the future, for "The bigger picture!"
Imagine if you were an investor or sponsor on the ground floor of NFL football
today. Did you know that the major TV Networks didn't want to show football back
in its beginning on their channels? So football attained sponsors who brought
money into their sport to make their TV production worth watching. This was not
attained by "1" Team owner. It was attained by all involved to make
their organization strong. It was the NFL that became strong and through their
strength, they made their teams strong. They knew the success of the teams meant
their success. They didn't have "1" Team owner seeking his own big
sponsorship deal. They all knew they were stronger as a group, far stronger than
one team owner could be because as a group, they had far more to offer a
sponsor. THIS is why they succeeded. They believed in the concept of
working for one common goal.
Over the years we have had individual promoters seeking the "Pot of Gold" sponsorship on their own. But what could they as one promoter offer their sponsor? Although kickboxing has been around for over 20 years, lets face it, we are on the ground floor STILL! This is because we have had very little leadership to take us to the next level and what leadership in the past has only watched out for themselves rather than the "Bigger Picture!" The IKF has invested greatly into this "Bigger Picture" with very little financial return. Why? Because we believe in "The Bigger Picture!" Do you?
The big question every sponsor asks that every promoter needs to answer for them is "What will I get for my money? How many people will see my name? My Company? Will it bring buyers to my product, my business?" To us here at the IKF we have a great vision of "The Bigger Picture!" We are seeking a major sponsor, "For everyone" in our sport. How you ask? Here is an example of our desired plan. A plan that brought success to "EVERY" Major sport around the world. We need to come together as a TEAM to seek the major sponsorship we need to take our sport to higher levels. We need to gather our ideas and share them with others and then focus on attaining that one or several major sponsors that believe in our "Bigger Picture" as we do. A company that we can all support in purchasing their products, and not just take money from. A company that "WE" can help grow to higher levels too, not just take from their pocket. Imagine a fund set up with the IKF that feeds us all? A fund that is fueled by major sponsorship that will pay to a promoter to host a Dennis Alexio Vs Rick Roufus Title fight, or any of the hundreds of other "Dream Bouts" we all want to see. Our plan is to turn around and invest this money into our sport in many ways. We will bring exposure for these sponsors at not just one, but every IKF Sanctioned event. How do others gain? What if this sponsorship income fund paid for the promoters sanctioning? What if it paid the purses for the pro fighters on a promoters event? A fund that pays for the purses our pro athletes deserve. Pays for a PayPerView event with the marketing it deserves to give our sport national if not worldwide exposure, along with our sponsors who believed in "The Bigger Picture" with us. A fund to actually PAY our event officials as the NFL pays theirs. A fund to invest in other marketing ideas for our sport, training camps, tournaments, seminars, travel expenses, awards so our fighters and promoters don't have to. And what if from all of this, one day, a "Kickboxing Hall of Fame" so those who gave both in and out of the fighting ring for our sport would be remembered forever, or as Theodore Roosevelt said, "their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." Not just on a web page, but an actual building like the pro football hall of fame. Can you imagine such a fund? We Can!
What Next?
OK,
we got sidetracked a bit from the headgear issue, but it all ties together. How?
For the very reason that we are all discussing this rule. "IF"
we had the major sponsorship funding to create more activity for our pro
fighters, we wouldn't need to be discussing this no headgear proposal. Right?
However, we have seen too much greed in our past. We have seen to much of "What
will this sport do for ME" rather than "What can "I"
do for this sport!" We here at the IKF
do not host the National Amateur Tournament hoping we will make a million
dollars doing so. In fact, every year we have done it we have lost money. So why
do it? Because that event is far bigger than the IKF.
It is "NEEDED" for our sport and it is just one on many answers we
here at the IKF have for the question, "What
can "I" do for this sport!" The IKF Kickboxing TV Program is yet another.
Something needs to change and "WE" as a group, not as
individuals, need to make this change as one. Not as individual promoters, but
as an organization.
For example, a promoter may have a Nationally or Internationally recognized sponsor that is ready to aid them for their event with a sponsorship check. This sponsor knows all this promoter can offer him is exposure to the 1,500 spectators at his event so he is able to sponsor the promoter in the amount of $2,500.00, an average sponsorship amount across the USA. This $2,500 won't go too far if the promoter wants to have even 1 pro fight on his event. If he pays 2 fighters $1,000.00 each for a 7 round bout, he only has $500.00 left for other needs such as promotional posters, fliers, radio advertising and other expenses. Keep in mind, he has only been able to put on "ONE" Pro bout. In doing so, it would not be worth it to spend the money to have a TV production crew come to his event to film it so he's back to the small exposure he will be able to give his sponsor.
However, if this promoter brought this sponsor forward to the
organization, say the IKF, he may have
much more to gain. If the sponsor is national or internationally known, the IKF would put together a promotional package that
would offer the sponsor exposure here on the IKF
website, the IKF
Kickboxing TV Program and at other IKF Sanctioned events around the nation or
around the world even for other promoters who are working with this
TEAM/Organization concept in mind. When the money is there to start it, add in
exposure for this sponsor in the 
IKF
Magazine too! (The money for the magazine was instead invested into the
IKF Kickboxing TV Program)
The income from this sponsor could now be far greater because we as an
organization can offer them far more. Because it is far greater it would now be
spread to many different IKF promoters around
the world. The first promoter would still receive his asked for sponsorship
amount "PLUS" far more now, since the package is far greater
for the sponsor. In this plan, the promoter gains, the Pro fighters gain and
more important, the sponsor gains far more than sponsoring one event. In the
end, all in the sport gain including our fans because now we have a working
program that continues to add fuel to our fire. This plan would only work for
those promoters who were willing to offer something for the package. If your a
promoter, what sponsor could you throw into the hat for everyone?
Fear Of The Past?
So
what if this plan is put into practice and someone takes the money and runs like
what happened in the Coors Kickboxing deal? Well, back then, there was no
internet. Blowing the whistle back then took a week to get across town let alone
around the world. If such a thing happened today, it would be easy to point the
finger if someone were to be so bold and if they were, it would be like
committing suicide because such a person would hurt everyone in our sport, and
everyone would know. As for the IKF, we
can only ask those of you associated with us to let our past be our judge. You
have seen what we have done for the sport over the years and now you know what
we plan to do in the future. Sure, another organization could take this idea and
run with it, and if they do, we wish more power to them. We have always asked
other organizations to do more for our sport because in the end, it only helps
all of us in the sport of Kickboxing. From amateur fighters to the pros, to
trainers, officials, promoters to us as an organization, we all get better with
good competition, so the better the competition, the better we all will become.
So if you believe in this idea, we need to start making plans on how to put it into action. Maybe we could schedule a "World Summit Meeting" early in 2004. Who would come to this meeting? Would it just be those in the IKF or do we ask all organizations to attend... would they? Regardless how and when we take the next steps of this plan, the fact is, we need to start taking action NOW! Send us an e-mail (main@ikfkickboxing.com) with your thoughts on how to make this happen if you want to be a part of it.
Sure, you could continue to try to land that big sponsor on your own, but this has been going on for years now and its time we make a major change in the direction of our goals and ideas for our sport. We are stronger as a group, but only as strong as our weakest link. So if you want to be a part of this, you need to be strong with the rest of us. Look for more news articles about this over the next few weeks.
As for the headgear
ruling...
We are still
weighing all things out and plan to make our decision soon, but again remember,
SAFETY is our main focus on this ruling.
It would be so much easier if we never had to make such a decision for or
against or even a third division to try to please everyone. Lets make kickboxing
a sport it deserves to be and not just a hobby to make a few dollars in. Lets
get serious with what we do and others will take us serious too. Again, as an
organization we are strong, as individuals we will always be limited to our
greater potential. The question now is who's in and who's not? Are you?
Have a Great Holiday Season...
THURSDAY, December 18th, 2003, AT 10:40 AM, PT
This Friday Night On
IKF Kickboxing On CSS!
Friday Night, 11:PM EST, 10:PM CST
